An Australian Defence Force Academy cadet accused of sexually assaulting a Canberra university student told her what happened on the day in question was "probably the worst thing I've ever done in my life", but maintains he did nothing wrong.
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Sebastian Crago Ellis, 22, is on trial before Justice John Burns in the ACT Supreme Court, charged with committing an act of indecency and unlawful assault. He was acquitted on Friday of a further four charges, including rape and two of attempted rape.
The remaining accusations relate to Mr Ellis allegedly sitting on top of the student, who cannot legally be identified, and ejaculating onto her chest while she tried to wriggle out from underneath him. Mr Ellis has pleaded not guilty and says the woman consented, saying it would "be cool".
On Monday, a covert recording made by the Australian National University student after the alleged assault was played to the jury for a second time.
In the recording, the student confronted Mr Ellis about what happened in his room at the academy after a night out at Mooseheads nightclub on July 24, 2016.
"It's probably the worst thing I've ever done in my life," a sobbing Mr Ellis told the student in the recorded conversation, in which he repeatedly apologises and says "I'm not that person".
But when he took the witness stand at his trial on Monday, Mr Ellis told the jury he was simply "sorry for how upset she was", and that he regularly referred to things as being "the worst thing I've ever done".
Mr Ellis said any apology he offered in the recorded conversation was designed to "tell her anything she wanted to hear" so that she wouldn't take the matter further, because he knew even an allegation would damage his military career.
"That's not me admitting to anything," he said of the recording.
"I would've said anything. I was just trying to defuse the whole situation."
Mr Ellis said when the pair ran into each other at Mooseheads before the alleged incident, the student was "sexually aggressive".
He said they kissed and danced at the nightclub before going back to his room at the academy, where the pair engaged in consensual sexual activity on Mr Ellis' bed until the woman said to "finish yourself off".
In response, Mr Ellis said he asked, "OK, on you?", to which the woman responded, "OK, yeah, that'd be cool", or words to that effect.
He said he ejaculated on her chest after "no more than four or five minutes", and that she said, "Oh, thanks for that" in a sarcastic tone, which confused him.
Mr Ellis said he was in no doubt that the student was comfortable with what had happened, because "she had told me what she wanted".
However, the student alleged she rolled over to go to sleep after telling Mr Ellis to "finish yourself off", but that he didn't listen and said, "I'm not done", then pinned her down until she become too tired to resist and he ejaculated on her chest.
Prosecutor Rebecca Christensen challenged Mr Ellis on why he didn't deny the student's allegations during the recorded conversation, or in Facebook messages after the alleged assault.
In the recorded conversation, Mr Ellis described himself as "a f---ing piece of s--t" and told the student what happened on the day in question was "probably the worst thing I have ever done in my life".
Ms Christensen questioned why Mr Ellis would say those things if he was not guilty, and why he wouldn't attempt to tell the student during the recorded conversation that she had got it wrong.
Mr Ellis said he had gone into that encounter intending to try and reason with the student, but it very quickly became apparent that wouldn't work.
"To do so would have been to disagree with [the student's version of events]," he said.
"That wouldn't have been helpful, in my mind. It would have only made her angry."
The trial continues, with closing arguments scheduled for Tuesday.
